bowxe



(Model.)" A

W.- BOWNE.

I APPARATUS FOR DIS$0LVING;-AND D IGESTING MBAT. No; 258,359. Patented May 23, 1 2.

A A zmw V N. PETERS. Hwwunm m mn Wnhinglon. DAL:

- UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

sAMUnL W. eownaor NEW YORK, N. Y.,' ssIeNoR o score & BOWNE,

OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR olssotvme AND DIGESTING MEAT.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 258,359, dated May 23, 1882.

Application filed January 24, 188 1. (Model) To all whom it may concern: 0

Be it known that I, SAMUEL W. BOWNE, a citizen of the United States,'lresidin g at the city of New York,in the county of New York and State of New. York, have invented a new and ausefnl Improvement in Apparatus for Dissolving Meat, of which the following is aspecilication. 1

My invention relates to the process of preparing meats or extracts ofmeatsin acondensed form, in which condition the product is packed for consumption in jars or cans hermetically sealed. 1

The present invention has for its object the thorough dissolution of the soluble matter con- .tained in meat that is of i any value or use for food, and to reject onlythatpart thereof that contains no nourishingqualities.

superheated steam as the direct dissolving and digesting agent, applying its action uponthe lustra-ted in the drawing. By these combined meat by means of the combined apparatus ilmeans I am enabled to absolutely extract and dissolve all of the lifegiving properties contained inmeat, thoroughly digesting it, and 35' giving as a final product a gelatinous mass, in

which is embodied all the nutritionsl'elements? of the meat, the residuum expunged during the process beingonly-thatpart ot' the meat which is utterly useless for the purposes of food, and which is very objectionable when left in extracts of meats thatyare particularly pre-I pared for the use of invalids; For such uses there is demandeda perfectly-,dissolved and absolutely-digested extract of meat which will pass :into the system of the patient without .weariuguponthemdigestive organs and weakening his strength. This desideratum I have succeeded in accomplishing by my improved apparatus and process.

The apparatus employed for producing the superheated steam may beof any of the wellknown forms; but I prefer the system as shown in the drawing of applying the same to my process. The main supply of steam may be drawn from any approved form of boiler.

The drier consists of aboiler or vessel, A, of proper strength, which is supported in an upright position in the interior of a suitable heater, B, which is provided at its base with a suitable furnace, O. This drier A receives the steam fromthe main boiler by means of an inlet-pipe, a, provided with a suitable cut-off valve, a. A safety-valve, a is also attached to the direr A and projected above the shell of the heater B. The furnace G of the heater is provided with a secondary draft flue or pipe, I), through which the heat may be sent when not desired to be applied to the drier A, a. damper, b, being provided in the flue entering the drier to cut off the heat therefrom when so desired.

D is the superhcater, consisting of afurnace of approved form, and with. its heating-worm or coil of pipe cl arranged in the usual form. This furnace is provided with a shaking-bar, 0, by means of which the fire may beinstantlv dropped from the grate and superheating-coil when so desired.

The steam is drawn from the drying-Chan her A by means of the pipe E, to which is applied a steam-pressure gage, c, a globevalve,

0, also being attached thereto for the purpose of controlling the flow of steam. The steam after being superheated is taken from the superheater D by means of thepipefand inducted into the expansion-chamber F, which is pro vided with a sat'ety-valve, f and pressure-gage, A thermometer, g, is also attached to the expansion-chambertor the purpose of indicating the temperature of the superheated steam.

Thus far my apparatus consists mainly of approved mechanical devices for superheating steam and the means of properly controlling itiin that form.

The dissolving and digesting apparatus consists of an outer vessel, G,constriieted of metal of sufficient strength to bear great pressure. Its form may bethat as shown in the drawing. Still, it may bevaried therefrom tosuit circumstances. The top of this vessel is left open its entire diameter to permit the depos-' iting therein of the inner vessel or digester, H. The mouth of the vessel G is provided with flange h, upon which the cover It rests, 'and is there secured by means of the yoke h and the clam pin g-screw i. A suitablepacking isinterposed between the cover and top of the vessel to prevent leakages of steam.

Other means of applying and securing the cover It upon the top of vessel G, so as'to resist great steam-pressure from within the vessel, will readily suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic, and I therefore do not limit myself to the form shown and described.

The inner or digesting vessel, H, is also strongly constructed, though of much lighter metal than the outer vessel; It is supported centrally inside the vessel G in any approved manner. Its mouth is alsothe full diameter of the vessel, and provided with flan geK u ponwhich rests the cap or cover Z',a yoke, m, and a screw,.n, beingem ployed to secure such coverin itsplace. To this cover I apply a double orautomatic safety-valve, the larger valve, 0, being, adjusted at an ascertainedpressure to permit the outflow of steam from within the vesselH,

the smaller'valve, 0, being adjusted topermit the'infiow of steam into-vessel H from-the vessel G. .Anejecting-pipe, s, isi attached to the base of the vessel H,-which-,-when the vessel. isseated'in its position in the vessel G,'passes through the bottom thereof, a shoulder, r, properly packed, resting upon the bottom of vessel G, a clamping-nut, t, being applied to the pipe 8, where it projects outside of the vessel G, as a means of. securing it inplace and preventing any leakage. A screw-cap, 8. ,ma y be used to'close the pipe 8.

The superheated steam is taken from the expansion chamber F and inducted into the vessel G by means of pipe 122, which ispro- A cut-off pipe,-I,-

vided with cut-off valve m having valve J, is attached to pipe f betweerr the superheater D and expansion-chamber F,

and is connected to the drier A, sothat the the heating medium is introduced and fired, it

afterward being closed by means of any flatv plate. A vacuum-gage, N, and an air inlet pipe, 0, provided with valve 0, are also at: tached to this vacuum -chamber for the pur-- pose of indicating the degree of vacuum obtained and for releasing it when desired. air might be exhausted from the digester GH by means of an air-pump; but I prefer the apparatus as shown. s

The operation of my invention is substan tially as follows; The meat to be dissolved is, after suitable preparation, introduced into the vessel H, which is thensecurely closed and insorted in its position inside the vessel G, whose mouth is then securely closed by the means previously described. Prior to charging the digesting apparatus with meat steam has been introduced from the main supplyboiler to the drier A, from thence taken to the superheater D and expansionchamber F, and thereby brought to the proper degree of heat preliminary to being admitted into the digesting apparatus. The valve m in pipe at now being opened, the superheated steam flows into the vessel G surrounding the inner vessel, H. The full pressure need not be admitted until both vessels are heated suifficiently to prevent any condensation of the steam. The proper degree of pressure of the superheated steam is now applied, when the inlet-valve o in the cover I of vessel H opens and permits the superheated steam to enter and act upon the meat contained in vessel H.

Prior to admitting the superheated steam to the vessels G H a vacuum may be, if necessary, formed therein by means of the vacuum-chamber M, the air-being exhausted therefrom by means-of an alcohol or spirit flame,-the opening. of the valve v allowing the air-to'be drawn from vessel G to'the vacuum chamber, the-operation being repeated until the desired. degree ?ofvacuum is obtained. During the action of the superheated steam upon the meat the press ure upon the'interior of both vessels is equal. Whenthe period of time allotted for the process ofdissolvin g the meat haselapsedthe flow iof' superheated steam is'cut 0ft bymeansofthe valvem;

At this stage of proceedings, after thesteam pressure is out Oh, the pressure on the inside of the interior vessel, H,-at once closes the inletvalve 0 and the steam in the vessel G at once commences to'condense; but

the action of dissolving continues in the vessel H', and, owing to thegreat heat contained in the'massvof matter therein,there'is a tendency'to turn the moisture and \vaterin the bottom of't'he'vessel into steam. This causes an increased pressure, which might burst the vesselH; but any such pressure beyond a fixed de- :greerisat once released by the opening of the -outletv-alve 0, allowing the surplus steam to enter vessel G, where it condenses. 'cess now being completed, the juices, &e., ex-

The' protractedfrom the meat and the water accumulated in the bottom of vessel H are drawn therefrom by means of the" pipe 8. This done the vessel H is removed and the contents thereof removed. I A waste-cock, y, is attached to the base of the vessel G, by means-of which any water condensed from the steam can be removed from time to time. The

The final manipulation of the matter dissolved from the meats and its separation from the water 'com mingled therewith is a matter of evaporation, not forming a part of the operation of the apparatus herein described.

The details of the properties of the product dissolved from meats by my process and a-description of its nature and c mponents will form part of a separate applica mm for a patent for such product, and for such reason is omitted from this specification.

It is obvious that any number of digesters can be supplied from one device or apparatus for superheatin g steam.

7 What I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An apparatus for dissolving and digesting meat, consisting essentially of two vessels hermeticallysealed, one suspended Wholly within the other and carrying the charge of meat to be acted upon by superheated steam, and means whereby the steam is first introduced directly into the outer vessel at a defined pressure, and from thence,

minus condensation, through a pressure-valve into the inner vessel, all substantially as and for the purposes as herein shown and set forth.

2. The dissolving and digesting apparatus consisting of vessel G and interior vessel, H,

provided with compensating-valves o and o, inlet steam-pipe m, and discharge-pipe 8, both vessels capable of being hermetically closed, all substantially as and for the purposes as herein shown and described.

3. The combination of vessels G and H, arranged to be hermetically closed and provided with inlet-pipe m, discharge-pipe s, and automatic compensating-valves o and o", and the vacuum-chamber M, all arranged, applied, and operating as and for the purposes substantially as herein shown and set forth.

4. The combination of the steam-drier A and heater B, superheater D, expansion-chamber F, and digesting apparatus GE, all arranged, applied, and operating substantially as and for the purposes as herein shown and set forth.

SAMUEL W. BOWNE. 

